Strand cushioning device



Oct. 14, 1952 l. s. ROBERTS 2,613,884

STRAND CUSHIONING DEVICE Filed Jan. a1, 1948 INVEN TOR. //VGHAM -5.ROBERTS Patented Oct. 14, 1952 STRAND CUSHIONING DEVICE I Ingham S.Roberts, Ridley Park, Pa., assignor to American Viscose Corporation,Del.,'a corporation of Delaware Wilmington,

Application January 31, 1948, Serial No. 5,589

The present invention relates to holders for packages of strandmaterials which are particularly useful during unwinding of thepackages.

In operating strand processing machinery such as winding machines,twisting machines, e. g.,--'

the multiple twist type, and the like, strand packages such as cakes,cones, tubes, and cheeses are unwound and rewound into other types ofpackages for reasons of processing or customer preference. A problemattendant upon the unwinding of a cross-wound strand package is that,before commencing withdrawal of strand from the package the strand tendsto loosen away from the body of the package for as many convolutions asslackness in the strand permits. When unwinding draft is applied, a loopof the relaxed strand which may have fallen below the package catchesunder the edge of the package or about the central package support, andmay break. When the strand is a low-twist yarn, the problem isintensified on account of the lower strength and the greater frictionalproperties of such yarn. Various fluffy or fibrous materials such ascarpeting or sheepskin have been used as a support for strand packagesduring an untwisting operation. These materials have the disadvantage ofthe tufts or the pile thereof tending to retain the strand at the loopsalong the bottom edge of the package. As a result, tension variationsare caused in the strand which vary the shape of the balloon and affectthe quality of the yarn as it passes through a machine such as atwister.

It is an object of the invention to provide a support for strandpackages during an unwinding operation. It is an object also to unwind astrand from a package with a minimum of tension variation, snagging, andbreaking of the strand. Other objects, features and advantages of theinven-. tion will be apparent from the drawing and the followingdescription of the invention.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment;

Figure 2 is a vertical section of a strand package in place on a twisterpackage-holder illustrating the use of package support such as shown inFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlargement of the package support illustratedin Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary radial section of the package support shown inthe other figures.

According to the invention, a package support comprising a thin flexiblesheet material, cut and formed to a desired shape, is placed on apackage supporting surface of apparatus adapted for un- 3 Claims. (Cl.242-130) winding an annular wound strand package of the type which mayor may not have a supporting core but lacks flanges or other supportingelements adjacent theend windings of the package.

Referring to Figure l, a package support 4 has an outer diameter suchthat it may be placed within a package holder 5 of Figure 2 on a flatannular surface 5 therewithin, and a central circular aperture 8 whichamply permits passage of 'an'extension 9 of the strand supporting core10 of the package 13.

A radially outer margin of the package support 4' is' divided in aplurality of leaf members H2. The division of the leaves may be made bysimple radial cuts it in the sheet material of which the support ismade. All leaves [2 are crimped or scalloped to give an undulating outerperipheral portion, so that each leaf has a radially extendingsmoothly-ridged mid-portion l5 gently sloping radially inward asillustrated in Figure 4. The inward extent of the smoothly-ridgedportion I5 is less than that of the cuts so as to form a relatively flatsection I1 along the line AB of Figure 3 so that any leaf may bend orspring readily with respect to the rest of the package support whenpressure is applied from above. All leaves are uniformly crimpedupwardly away from the plane of the flat annular central section I 4 ofthe support 4 so that when a package is placed on the support the leavesspring slightly downward with respect to the section M. In this mannerslight variations in the crimp of the leaves [2 do not cause failure ofthe leaves to press against the bottom of the package.

The package I3 rests upon the rounded ridges [5. The rounded surface ispreferable particularly in unwinding packages of low-twist strand sincethe smooth frictionless surface of the leaves l2 does not restrict thewithdrawal of occasional small loops of yarns formed at the end of thepackage by a traversing mechanism of a package builder, as do thesheepskin or carpet padsordinarily used as package supports. Moreover,plucking at the strand as it is withdrawn near the end of the package bytufts of sheep wool or carpet pile is avoided by a package support suchas shown in Figure 1.

As yarn is progressively removed from the package, the lower corner ofthe package eventually loses contact with the flexible. leaves and,

yarn, slufling does not occur. The flexible leaves must be long enoughto take care of the probable variation in the size of starting packages.

Package supports according to this invention are very inexpensive sincethey may be stamped and crimped from any light-gauge flexible materialwhich exhibits springiness and which will maintain a permanent crimp.Among such mato be illustrative only, and it is to r be understoodthat'changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined by the appended claims. 1

I claim:

1. A member'for concentrically supporting an annular wound packagewiththe windings at one end resting thereagainst comprising an annulushaving a substantially flat circular inner portion,

and an outer portion of circumferentially spaced flexible leaves each ofwhich extend in an upward and radially outward direction from the innerportion and have an upper convex surface facing the windingssaid surfacehaving a smoothly contoured radiallyextending central ridge portion.

2. A member for supporting an annular wound package with the windings atone end resting thereagainst comprising a unitary annulus of flexiblesheet material having a flat circular inner portion, and an outerportion of circumferentially spaced projecting leaves which extendupwardly and radially outwardly from the inner portion, eachof the:leaves having" an upper smoothly-contoured radially extending andsymmetrically disposed convex ridge surface.

3. A member for supporting an annular Wound .package with the windingsat one end resting thereagainst during unwinding comprising an annulushaving circumferentially spaced outer individually and resilientlydeflectable leaves each having a radially extending and symmetricallydisposed smoothly contoured convex upper surface which faces thewindings.

INGHAM S. ROBERTS.

REFERENCES :fll'llED The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS McCrudden '-;May v23, 19.39

